1. Field
The following description relates to an upright-type vacuum cleaner, and more particularly, to an upright-type vacuum cleaner which may cool a power cord.
2. Description of the Related Art
A vacuum cleaner may generally operate to draw in an external air stream containing dust from a surface being cleaned, separate dust at a dust separating and collecting unit, and discharge out a clean air stream. Such vacuum cleaners may employ a cord reel assembly having therein a reel of power cord to supply power to the vacuum cleaner. Considering that the power cord may generate heat as the vacuum cleaner is operated, the vacuum cleaner may employ a structure in which an air stream discharged from a suction motor is passed through the cord reel assembly to thereby cool the heat from the power cord before the air stream is discharged out via a discharge filter.
However, the above-explained vacuum cleaner may have drawbacks. In particular, because the air stream from a carbon brush of the suction motor may be passed through the cord reel assembly before the discharge filter, a carbon powder, which may be contained in the air stream, may contaminate the power cord.
Japan Patent Publication No. 07-124082 (“JP '082”) and U.S. Pat. No. 6,052,862 (“US '862) recognize the abovementioned problem, and suggest a structure in which an air stream from the suction motor is secondly purified through a discharge filter, and then moved to a cord reel assembly to cool a power cord housed therein and discharged out of the vacuum cleaner.
However, according to JP '082, the discharge filter is housed within a vacuum cleaner body, and not removable from the vacuum cleaner body and thus cannot be cleaned. According to US '862, the cord reel assembly covers the discharge filter. Therefore, in order to remove the discharge filter from the vacuum cleaner body, a user has to separate the cord reel assembly from the vacuum cleaner body first. Accordingly, the discharge filter of US '862 may be difficult to clean.